Signal



Dec, 30, 1924.

C. A. FISCHER SIGNAL Filed Feb. 19, 1924 IN VEN TOR 61A, zfccr WI TNESSES 9%@ A TTORNE YS Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED r ortica.

SIGNAL.

Application filed February 19, 1924. Serial No. 693,837.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN A. Fisoli- ER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Grand Forks, in the county of Grand Forks andState of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Signals, of which the following is a specification. u s

My invention relates to improvements in signals for automobiles, and itconsists 1n the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereindescribed and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a signal of simplifiedconstruction which is adapted to be applied to an automobile or likevehicle and which provides reliable means adapted to be operatedconveniently by a driver of the automobile to indicate at any time hisintentions with respect to the further movement of the automobile.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal of thecharacter described in which the signalling element will be releasablyheld in either signalling or nonsignalling position until movedtherefrom by manual act of the operator.

A, still further object of the invention is to provide a signal of thecharacter described which is not likely to get out of order easily,relatively inexpensive to manufacture and thoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure l is a plan view of a signal embodying the inventionwith the cover of the signa-l case in partly raised and laterally swungposition,

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the signal and through afragmentary portion of a support to which the signal is secured, thesection being taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure l withthe cover of the signal case in closed position,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, the section being takensubstantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,

Figure t is a fragmentary perspective view showing portions of themechanism for operating the signal arm of the device and for holding thesignal arm either in signalling or non-signalling position.

j In. carrying out my invention, I provide a casing indicated generallyat l. The casn ing comprises a flat base 2 which is substantiallyrectangular in configuration. Elongated strips 3 which preferably have alength approximately equal to that of the base 2 are secured upon thebase in any suitable known manner or are formed integrally with the baseand extend along the longitudinal edges of the base as best seen inFigure l. The strips 3 are rabbeted for their full length along theupper inner edges thereof as indicated at 4 fora purpose to be presentlyset out. The casing l also includes a cover or lid which may consist oftwo complementary sections 5'* and 5b as shown or which may be formed ina single piece. The cover a-b is substantially rectangular inconfiguration and. is approximately coextensive in length and width withthe base 2, being adapted to overlie the base 2 and to be supported uponthe strips 3 which thus constitutes the sides of the casing. The coveris secured in spaced parallel relation to thebase 2 by screws 6 or likefastening devices by means of which the cover is attached adjacentto itslongitudinal edges to the strips or side members 3 and in additionbyscrews 7 which extend through openings in the cover adjacent to one endof the latter and engage threaded axial openings or sockets in posts 8which are upstanding from the base 2. rlhe cover and the base thusareheld in such relation in respect to each other that slots 9 and 10respectively in the cover and base will be disposed in alignment. Theslot 9 extends along the longitudinal median line of the cover from apoint adjacent to one end of the cover for part of the length of thelatter. The position of the slot 10v in the base 2 corresponds to thatof the slot 9 in the cover.

The casing described in the foregoing is open at its opposite ends andis adapted to receive an elongated signal arm 11 which has a length lessthan that of the casing and is adapted to slide in the direction of itslength to and from position to extendat one end beyond the correspondingend kof the casing, the longitudinal or side` edges of the signal armbeing parallel with each other and the width lof the signal arm beingsuch that the latter is in sliding contact at its longitudinal edgeswith the walls of] the rabbets in the strips 3.

lll)

The signal arm 11 is fashioned at one end in the similitude of a hand,as indicated at 12. A relatively deep and wide notch or indentation 13is formed in the other end of the signal arm 11 to provide clearance fora slide block 14 which has reduced portions 15 and 16 respectively insliding engagement with the slots 9 and 10 in the cover and baserespectively of the casing and thus is mounted to have limited movementback and forth in the casing in the direction of length of the latter. Ahandle 17 carried by the slide block 14 protrudes from the casingthrough the slot 9 in the cover and is adapted to be grasped to effectsliding movement of the block 14.

Lazy-tongs 18 are disposed within the casing between the base 2 and theplane of the signal arm 11. The lazy-tongs 18 are pivotally attached atone end by a pin 19 to the signal arm 11 at a point along thelongitudinal median line of the latter and adjacent to the inner end ofthe notch 13 in the second named end of the signal arm. The adjacentends of the members of the lazy-tongs at the second end of the latterare received in a horizontal notch or recess 2O in the adjacent end ofthe block 14 and are held therewithin inv pivotally connected togetherrelation by a fastening device, such as a screw 21 which thus securesthe lazytongs at the second end thereof to the block 14. Two crossedmembers of the lazy-tongs 18 adjacent to the second end of the latterare pivotally connected to each other midway between their ends and areattached to the base and cover of the casing by a pin 22 which extendsthrough aligned openings in said members of the lazy-tongs and hasreduced end portions indicated at 22a and 22b received in alignedopenings in the base and cover of the casing.

With the arrangement described, movement of the block 14 longitudinallyof the casing will cause the lazy-tongs to be extended or folded andthus will cause the ysignal arm 11 to be slid either from retractedposition as illustrated in Figure 1 to a position in which the endportion of the signalling arm indicated at 12 will be extended beyondthe corresponding end of the casing and in signalling position or to bereturned from extended signalling position toward retractednon-signalling position, as illustrated in Figure 1.

It is desirable that the signal arm shall be releasably held either inextended signalling position or retracted non-signalling position untilmoved therefrom by manual act. To this end, a spring latch member 23 issecured within the casing, as to the base 2 alongside of the slot 10 bya screw 24 and has means for engaging with a ll-shaped notch 25 in theadjacent side of the block 14 when the block is positioned adjacent toeither of the opposite ends of the slot 10 and to then releasably holdthe block 14 against sliding movement in the casing.

The latching member 23 may be a piece of spring wire securedintermediate its ends by the screw 24 to the base 2, the end portions ofthe piece of spring wire being bent in such angular relation to eachother as to be adapted to engage respectively with the notch 25 when theblock 14 is adjacent to opposite ends of the slot 10 and to each enwitha fixed stop 26 or 27 on the base when the other end portion is inengagement with the notch 25 to place a tension on said other endportion tending to hold the latter in engagement with said notch.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. The casing 1 may haveattaching members 28 secured thereto and provided with extending endportions having openings for the reception of screws 29 whereby thecasing may be attached to a support 30 which iii actual practice may bea portion of the frame of an automobile. rlhe casing 1 will be attachedto the support or frame of the automobile so that the signal arm 11 willextend laterally of the automobile when the signal arm is in extended orsignalling position and the handle 17 will be in position to be graspedconveniently and manipulated by the operator of the automobile. Thesignal arm will be relensably held in either extended signallingposition or retracted non-signalling position tl'n'ougl'i the action ofthe spring latch 23 in engagement with the notch 25 in the slide block14. Therefore, the operator may devote his entire attention to theoperation of the automobile when he has manipulated the handle 17 tocause movement of the signal arm 11 to extended signalling positionuntil the reason for moving the signalling arm to signalling position nolonger exists. The handle 17 may be then conveniently manipulated tocause return of the signal arm from extended signalling position.

lt will be observed that the strips 3 serve not only as side members ofthe casing but also as guides for supporting and guidingv the signal armin its movement to and from extended or signalling position.

Obviously my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other thanthat illustrated in the accompanying drawing and l therefore consider'as my own all such modifications and adaptations of the form of thedevice herein described as may fairly fall within the scope of theappended claims.

. 1. A signal comprising an elongated casingopen at the end, a signalarm reciprocable in the easing and adapted to be moved to and fromposition to protrude from the open end of the casing3 a block supportedtra within the casing to have limited sliding movement, longitudinallyof the casing,

means extending eXteriorly of the casingl for actuating said slideblock, lazy-tongs connecting said slide block and said signal arm andbeing lattached to'said casing, and a spring latch member carried bysaid easing for engaging with said slide block to yieldingly hold thelatter against movement from position at either of the opposite ends ofits travel relatively to the casing.

2. A signal of the character described comprising an elongated casinghaving parallel base and cover members and a pair l of parallel spacedapart side members connecting said base and cover members, an elongatedsignal arm supported and guided by sald side members for movement to andfrom position to extend from said casing beyond one end of the latter, aslide block disposed in said casing and having guided limited movementlongitudinally of the casing, said slide block having a. handle eX-tending through a slot in the casing exteriorly of the latter,lazy-tongs attached at onel end to said signal member and at the otherend to said slide block, said lazytongs being attached adjacent to thesecond end thereof to said casing, and latching means carriedb-y saidcasing for engaging said block when the latter is at either of thelimits of its movement longitudinally of -the casing to releasably holdthe slide block against movement relatively to the casing.

CHRISTIAN `ALBERT FISCHER.

